Expected runtime:
7.30pm – Doors
8pm – Concert starts
9pm – Concert ends
There will be no interval for this concert.

Please note, this concert is being broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and therefore latecomers may not be admitted.

After 400 years, the Fieri Consort reveal the newly-discovered madrigals of Maddalena Casulana alongside works by another of Italy’s greatest composers, Barbara Strozzi.

In one of the most important discoveries of recent years, the lost Alto partbook of Maddalena Casulana’s 1583 First Book of five-voice madrigals has been found. Living at a time in which women’s creativity was often stifled, Casulana (c.1532 – c.1590) and her compatriot Barbara Strozzi (1619-77) were only too aware their music would be judged inferior to men’s. To mark International Women’s Day, this concert presents Casulana’s madrigals as a fresh perspective on Strozzi’s works, celebrating both composers’ skill with words and music.

Casulana (from the dedication in her first book of 1568):
‘these first fruits of mine, flawed as they are…show the world the futile error of men who believe themselves patrons of the high gifts of intellect, which according to them cannot also be held in the same way by women’

In partnership with

Founded in 2012, Fieri Consort is one of the UK’s most exciting vocal groups, offering a unique blend of technical precision and theatrical innovation.
Performing without a conductor, Fieri presents innovative and engaging programmes, and specialises in the rich and varied tradition of 16th and 17th century Italian repertoire. Performing a cappella, accompanied by early instruments, with guests and even with members of their audiences, Fieri’s interpretations are informed by the collective experience and knowledge of the group.

‘Fierce, proud, and fiery. Exquisite blend quickly emerges as a touchstone for the intense programme… a group that gives some of the best in the business a run for their scudi.’  BBC Music Magazine